Method of making decorated chinaware



P 1927' w. N. LEWIS METHOD OF MAKING DECORATED CHINAWARE Filed Feb. 16, 1927 I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNE a PATENT- OFFICE.

WILLIAM N. LEWIS, OI: SEBRING, OHIO,

I CORPORATION, OF SEBRING,

ASSIGNOR r sesame murncrunnve OHIO, A CORPORATION" OF OHIO.

manner or MAKING micoan'rnn c'nnmwann.

Application filed February 16, 1927. Serial Rio. 168,611.

In the art of ornamenting glazed ceramic Ware and glass for the purpose of produclng so-called encrusted metallic decorations, the

current practice is to acid etch the design in the surface of the porcelaim chinaware or glass, and then to coat the design and the etched background with gold or other metallic paint to produce the corresponding encrust ed effect. In acid etching the design whether as a positive, where the design stands in relief, or as a negative, where it is sunken, such design is first printed on the surface of the Ware with an acid resisting ink; then the entire article aside from the design and the background is covered with acid resisting wax or s milar material, and the article immersed in suitable acid until the etching has progressed to the desired depth, when it is finally washed and the wax removed.

Attempts have heretofore been made to achieve the general appearance of etched gold patterns by simpler process, or at least to obtain a two tone effect in gold or other metal having a design in dull gold with a surrounding area of a brighter tone of the same metal or vice versa.' According to one such method, a mineral color is applied to.

form the design, the were then'fired, then a coating of gold or. other metal is applied and the ware again fired. a In accordance with another method, the design is applied on the ware by the use of transfer decalcomania in the usual way, the ware then fired, then a coating of gold or other metal is applied 5 over the design and the ware fired a second time. Each of the foregoing methods, it 'Will be observed, requires two firings, and since firing is a relatively expensive processnot only per se but because of the extra handa ling, loss by breakage, etc., involved, neither of the methods in question have had any extended vogue. 1

The object of the present invention is to 1 provide a method or process whereby the 'general appearance of an etched gold or other metal pattern may be obtained with u but a sin 1e firing, and to this end, the in-- vention, t en, consists of the steps and resulting product hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims,

the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail one method and one roduct exemplifying my invention, such disdiosed procedureand product constito make the design stand tuting, however, but one of various applicationsof the. principle of the invention.

In said annexed drawing:

Figrlisa broken plan view of an article of glazed ceramic ware or glass illustrating the first step in carrying out the present improved method' or process; Fig. 2is a similar view illustrating the second step; while Fi 3 is a similar view illustrating the finished article.

According to the present improved pro-' cedure, Ifirst stamp'or otherwise place on the surface of the article A of glazed ceramic ware or glass the desired design using as the material for-such design a so-called half mat or vellum color admixedv witharabic, gum tragacanth or other equivalent hardening and binding agent that is soluble in water but notreadily soluble in the vehicle hereinafter referred to as employed in the liquid gold or with the article is to be decorated. Preferably the material whereof the design is thus formed is spread out by means of a brush in a thin layer on a plate of glass or equivalent material and a soft rubber stamp or series of stamps is then utilized to transfer such material onto the article. Such half mat or vellum color is a trade, composition of light buff or neutral color and if desired, in order out more distinctly and thus assist in the placement thereofon the article as well as cation of the metallic paint, a small amount of color ng matter, e. g., asoluble dye, may

be included. 7

After the design shown in the form of a conventional border a (Fig. 1) has been thus stamped or otherwise placed on the article, t is allowed to thoroughly dry. Such drymg, where arabic or equivalent binding and hardenin agent is employed, occurs imfiltigiately an the color material is firmly e ant form. Liquid gold, which is likewise a well known trade preparation, or other equivalent liquid metal, is then applied with a brush over'the design to form a coating a (Fig. 2), and due to the firm manner in which the color material is held together, and the further fact that the'binding and hardening agent employed therein .is substantially insoluble in the vehicle of the liquid metal, the stamped design will not be other metallic paint where or set in a relatively hard and resistin the subsequent appli-.

disturbed in any way. In the case of a border design as shown, the coating in question will ordinarily be applied in the form of a band, but no limitation in this respect is implied for the design may be made up of-disconnected portions, in which event the coating can be applied so as just to cover the respective portions of such design.

The exact composition of liquid gold, as well as of other so-called liquid metallic coatings employed in the ceramic art, is so far as I have been able to ascertain a tradesecret with the manufacturers thereof. The main ingredient, however, consists either of the actual metal in extremely finely divided or pulverized condition suspended in a liquid menstruum or vehicle apparently made up of one or more volatile oils, or it may consist of a resina-te of the metal dissolved in essential oils. Turpentine is very commonly used as the vehicle in these preparations. In the case of such commercial liquid metals, the binding and hardening agents named above as suitable for use with the half-mat or vellum color have been ascertained by actual experiment and test to be substantially insoluble in the vehicle in which the metal is thus suspended. Accordingly, by the em ployment of such agent the difliculty in laying gold, for example, over half-mat colors before firing (described in Monachesis Manual for China Painters, published by Lee & Shepard, Boston, 1897, as calling for skill nothing short of perfection), I am on the contrary enabled to brush on the liquid metal with no more care than would be required if the half-mat design were not present, or if it had been previously fired.

In case a liquid metal having a vehicle of different constitution than the one hereinbefore identified were found available, the stated condition, viz, that the materials employed in the design should be substantially insoluble in such vehicle, or, vice versa, that such vehicle should not dissolve such materials, still remains the gist of my invention or discovery.

It will be understood that whatever the specific composition of the vehicle of the liquid gold or other metal, such vehicle d1sa pears, e., is burned off in the firing, and t is is equally true of the above-mentioned binding and hardening agents employed with the half-mat or vellum colors. In other words, these agents do not remain in the finished decoration but are evanescent.

The next and final step is to fire the article in the usual manner, the resulting effect being the fixing of the gold, whether in the form of a band or otherwise, with the stamped design or figure showing there through, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Ordinarily the design will show in dull gold with the surrounding area of a brighter tone of old; although by building up a sufficient t ickness of the coloring material employed in placing the design on the article, an actual raised or encrusted effect may be produced. While the composition of the half mat or vellum color may vary, it does not contain any mercurial or other evanescent compound such as has been suggested for use in forming a fugitive coating by way of assisting in the application of gold or color decorations to ware, but the base of such color consists entirely or mainly of one or.more metallic oxides which are permanent, as evidenced by the resulting efiect in renderin the design visible through or in the gol decoration after firing. V

The material forming the base of the composition used in stamping the design on the ware may in fact consist of the metallic oxides employed in glazing, with the addition, as hereinbefore noted, of a small amount of special color to make it easier for the stampers to follow the design. In addition to the gum or equivalent hardening and binding agent, a small amount of pure glycerine may be included to prevent too rapid drying, also a few drops of acetic acid if the color acts greasy for stamping. The glass plate on which such stamping composition is spread out may have a covering of lawn, if desired, to give the eifect of a pad whereby a pro er thickness of the material is presented to e taken up by the stamp.

While reference has hereinbefore been made to the use of a liquid metal, e. g., liquid gold, for the superimposed coating material, I have found that the various liquid lustres may also be applied over a design stamped in the manner set forth without previously firing the article. In other words, the combined effect of a design and a lustre coating may be obtained with single firing.

Other forms maybe employed embod ing the features of my invention instead 0 the one here explained, change being made in the form or construction, provided the elements stated by any of the following claims or the eqluivalent of such stated elements be employe whether produced by my preferred method or by others embodying steps equivalent to those stated in the following claims.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. A method of decorating ware having a glazed surface, which comprises forming a design on said surface with a material which is insoluble in the vehicle of a subsequently applied coating material and coating said design and background, one component of such design material being permanent and another component evanescent upon firing.

2. A method of decorating ware having a glazed surface, which comprises stamping on the surface of the ware with a. material which is insoluble in the vehicle of a subsequentlfy applied liquid metal coating, an outllne o the design and,then coating said design with a liquid metal, one component of such design material being permanent and another component evanescent upon firing.

3..In a method of decorating glass or glazed ceramic ware, the steps which consist in imposing on the surface of the ware an outline of the design comprising one or more permanent metallic oxides and a suitable binding and hardenin agent, insoluble in the vehicle found in liquid metal, superimposing on such design without previously firing the same a coating of such liquid metal, and then firing.

4. In a method of decorating glass or glazed ceramic ware, the steps which consist in stamping on the surface of the ware an outline of the design consisting of a-half mat or vellum color, and a binding and hardening agent insoluble in the vehicle found in liquid metal, superimposing on such design without previously firing the same a coating of such liquid metal, and then firing.

5. A method of decorating ware having a glazed surface, which comprises stamping on the surface of the ware with a material comprislng one or more permanent metallic U oxides and a water-soluble evanescent gum as a binder for said oxides, an outline of the design and then coating said design with a liquid metal, said oxides and said gum being insoluble in the vehicle of the liquid metal.

6. In a method of decorating glass or glazed ceramic ware, the steps which consist in stamping on the surface of the ware an outline of the design consisting of a half mat or vellum color, a gum soluble in water ,but insoluble in the vehicle found in liquid gold, sufiicient Water being included to make a paste, allowing the stamped design to dry, superimposing on such design without previously firing the same a coating of liquid gold, and then firing.

7. In a method of decorating glass or glazed ceramic ware, the steps which consist in stamping on the surface of the ware an outline of the design consisting of a halfmat or vellum color, and a binding and hardening agent insoluble in the vehicle found in liquid metal, allowing such design to set, superimposing on such design without previously firing the same a coating of such liquid metal, and then firing.

Sgned by me this 14th day of February, 192

WILLIAM N. LEWIS. 

